In the last year, he's been the face of the EPA's tighter controls over Texas air quality, drawing fire from state leaders in Austin at every turn. Jump for a few links to some related reading, and video of Armendariz recounting the EPA's work in Texas over the last year.

While the EPA has stepped in to invalidate Texas' flexible permit program, and to issue permits for greenhouse gas emissions because Texas refused to, state leaders have been vocal about the agency at every turn. Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and TCEQ have all drawn attention to the fight. Back in December, Schutze offered his take on Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams' thoughts on the EPA.

One of the highest-profile enforcement moves the EPA's taken in North Texas since Armendariz took over is the emergency order against Range Resources, telling the gas driller to clean up the contaminated water supplies around two wells in Parker County. Range has pushed back hard against the agency's science, saying they could prove the water contamination wasn't from their drilling.

Here's Armendariz delivering the State of the Air talk last month at the Air Alliance Houston event that leads off the story: